King Island Power Station

The King Island Power Station is a hybrid energy system that generates electricity from solar and wind, backed up by diesel generation when needed. The combined wind and solar farm is named Huxley Hill. The King Island Power Station replaced the Currie Power Station, decommissioned in 1986. 

1985

Date commissioned

11.55 MW

Generating capacity

10

Number of generating units

5 diesel | 5 wind | 1 solar array

Type of generating units
A world-leading, hybrid off-grid power system
The King Island Renewable Integration Project (KIREIP) developed a world-leading, hybrid off-grid power system to supply 65% of King Island’s energy needs using renewable energy.

The KIREIP project was an initiative of Hydro Tasmania, with the assistance of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

The fully automated power system includes 5 wind turbines and a large solar farm, supported by a battery, flywheel and dynamic resistor. The operation of all elements is tightly integrated to provide a balance between renewable energy contributions and a safe and stable energy system. 

The system is capable of 100% renewable operation for continuous days at a time when conditions permit. It was the first megawatt-class off-grid system with this capability in the world.  

Before 1998, the electricity on the King Island was generated entirely from diesel fuel at a 6 MW power station, serving 12 GWh of annual customer demand and peaking at 3 MW. King Island is not connected to a mainland electricity supply. 

 

This is a live snapshot of the power being supplied by wind turbines, community and utility solar farms and supported by battery energy storage.

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Flinders Island Power Station

The Flinders Island Power Station is a hybrid energy system that generates electricity from solar and wind, and is backed up by diesel generation when needed. The Flinders Island Power Station replaced the Whitemark Power Station, which was decommissioned in 1985. 

1984

Date commissioned

4.34 MW

Generating capacity

6

Number of generating units

4 diesel | 2 wind | 1 solar array

Type of generating units
An integrated, automated hybrid power system
Since the Flinders Island hybrid system was commissioned in 2017, it has been able to significantly reduce the amount of diesel fuel needed to generate electricity on Flinders Island.

The Flinders Island hybrid energy project was developed with the support of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).  This system is a refinement of the hybrid system design that was implemented on King Island. 

The system is capable of 100% renewable operation for continuous days at a time when conditions permit. The fully automated system includes one wind turbine and a solar array, supported by a battery, flywheel and dynamic resistor. The operation of all elements is tightly integrated to provide a balance between renewable energy contributions and a safe and stable energy system. 

 

This is a live snapshot of the power being supplied by wind turbines and community and utility solar, supported by battery energy storage.

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